Analysis of Decision-Making Model

We all make decisions of varying importance in the workplace every day, so the idea that decision making can be a rather sophisticated process may at first seem strange. However, studies have shown that a large percentage of people are much poorer at decision making than they think. An understanding of what decision making involves, together with an effective techniques, will help produce better decisions. Decision making is the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision maker (Harris, 1998). Making a decision implies that there are alternative choices to be considered, and in such a case we want not only to identify as many of these alternatives as possible but to choose the one that best fits with our goals, desires, lifestyle, values, and so on. To do this I will utilize Rick Robert's 7 Step Decision Making Model and apply it to a recent work-related decision. I will also describe how critical thinking impacted this decision.

The 7 Step Decision MakingModel by Rick Roberts has, you guessed it, seven different steps. The first step is to identify the decision to be made. Under this step, one will also have to determine whether you are making a choice between two or more options. The next step is to understand yourself. What skills, interests, values, and personality do you have? The third step is to identify the options. What are the current options and are there others available. Step four is to gather information and data. Take a look at existing resources and identify additional information and resources that may be needed. Step five is to evaluate the options. List the pro's and con's of each alternative. Identify the value and needs that are met by each. Recognize any risks, present and future, involved with each alternative. The next step, step six, is to select one of the options. If you don't have enough information to select one of the decisions, then review or revise one of the above steps. The